Smoothing-drag.



W. H. PARKER.

SMOOTHING DRAG.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. 19:23..

Patented May 29, 1917.

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WILLIAM H. PARKER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

SMOOTI-IING-DRAG.

Application filed March 27, 1915.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM H. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State v of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Smoothing-Drags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a smoothing drag.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described particularly designed for the purpose of smoothing roads and giving the proper form to the surface thereof, but may be also for other similar purposes.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

lhe Figure 1, is a plan View thereof, and,

Fig. 2, is a sectional view, taken on the line a@ of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1, designates the front section of the drag and the numeral 2, refers to the rear section thereof, said sections being spaced usually about two feet apart and connected by means of the chains or flexible links 3, 3. Each section is formed of side 1 members, as 4, 4, and 5, 5, connected at their ends by the cross braces 6, 6 and 7, 7 respectively, and the side members 4 and 5, are formed in sections, which are hinged together along the line a-a. The side members are also connected together by means of the cross braces 8, 8 and 9, 9, respectively, which are secured thereto on opposite sides of said hinges, and the braces 8, 8, project forwardly beyondthe front side member 4.

Secured to the front side member 4, of the section 1, on opposite sides of the center thereof, are the deflectors 10, 10, which converge at right angles to each other, forming a right angle, and secured to the front side of the deflectors and projecting below the under surface thereof, are the scrapers 11, 11, formed of thin metal, and the underside of each deflector is lined with a metallic runner plate, as 12.

Secured to the side members 4, 4, and spaced a suitable distance behind the de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 191?.

Serial No. 17,571.

flectors 10, 10, are the deflectors 13, 13, whose rear ends project approximately eighteen inches behind the front section 1. These members converge rearwardly and are arranged at approximately right angles to the corresponding front deflectors, and secured to their forward sides and projecting some distance below their under sides, are the scraper blades 14, 14, formed of thin metal.

The side members 5, 5, are formed of com paratively heavy beams, the front side of whose bottoms are curved or beveled upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and mounted upon the respective ends of both the front and rear sections are shallow boxes 15, 15, and 16, 16, respectively, in which suitable weights may be placed if desired, in order to give the drag the required weight, in accordance with the character of the surfacc to be smoothed.

A double-tree 17 is provided, which is attached in front of the front section by means of the chains 18, 18, and to which the team may be attached.

Runners 19, 19, which curve rearwardly are arranged at each end of the front section." These runners are arcuate in form and integral therewith and upstanding therefrom are the manual levers 20, 20, which are pivoted to the corresponding end members 6, 6. Fixed to the upper sides of said end members, are the arcuate racks 21, 21 having a plurality of apertures therethrough, and each of the manual levers has a corresponding aperture, which may be brought into alinement with either of the apertures of the corresponding rack members 21, and a bolt, as 22, then inserted through said alined apertures, so as to hold the corresponding runners in a fixed posi tion. A similar runner 23, is pivoted between the forward ends of the braces 8, 8, and has the manual lever 24, fixed thereto and upstanding therefrom and the forward end of the link 25, is pivoted to the lever 24. The rear end of this link has alined apertures and plays between the studs 27 27 upstanding from the front side member 4, and these studs have alined apertures. The bolt 26, may be inserted through the alined apertures of said studs and through any desired aperture of the link 25, and the runner 23, thus held in fixed position.

When it is desired to transport the drag, the manual levers 20, 20, and 24, may be brought into vertical position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the runners will then sustain the front portion of the drag, at other times, as is obvious, by a similar manipulation of said levers, the runners may be partially or entirely withdrawn from the surface of the ground and fixed by said bolts in withdrawn position.

In forming the road it is desirable that the middle thereof be somewhat higher than the sides and for this reason both sections 1 and 2, are hinged along the central line, so that the center of the sections will be elevated somewhat higher than the ends.

A seat 28, is mounted upon end supports 25), 29, which are fixed to the side members at, on opposite sides of the center thereof and one end of this seat is fixed to the corresponding support 29, and the other end has a slidable engagement to the other support so as to permit said side members 4, 4, to conform themselves to the contour of the road surface.

The inner ends of the sections of which the front side member 5, is formed, recede somewhat relative to the outer ends, thereby conducing to the oval formation of the road surface.

As the drag passes over the loose earth of the road surface, the deflectors 10, throw the earth outwardly, rather than forwardly, thus partially filling the ruts formed by vehicle wheels in passing over the road, and this earth is then caught by the following deflectors l3, l3, and thrown inwardly over lVhile I have shown only one form of this device, it is obvious that the mechanical structure thereof may be modified without departing from the principle of the invention and I hereby reserve the right to make such structural changes therein as may be found necessary, so long as I keep within the scope of the appended claim.

l/V hat I claim is:

A device of the character described formed of front and rear beams, each of said beams being formed of two parts hinged together, cross braces secured to and connecting the respective ends of said parts, the braces connecting the inner ends of said parts projecting forwardly beyond the front beam, a pair of deflectors, said deflectors converging forwardly and being secured to the respective parts of the front beam at one end and to the forward ends of the for wardly projecting braces respectively, scra pers secured to the front side of the respective deflectors and projecting below the under surface thereof, deflectors converging rearwardly and-fixed at their respective ends to the corresponding parts of the respective front and rear beams near their outer ends and being arranged behind and at approximately right angles to the front deflectors, scraper blades secured to the front side of said rear deflectors and extending below their under sides, rearwardly curved runners arranged at each end of said device and means for elevating and lowering the beams upon said runners.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

XVILLIAM H. PARKER.

l/Vitnesses F. A. LIDDELL, E. L. CATHEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

